Self-managed superannuation fund trustees have welcomed Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s assurances that super withdrawals will remain tax-free for individuals over the age of 60.

But their relief was tempered by the government’s refusal to rule out further changes to taxes on super.

Their message to Ms Gillard was blunt: stop tinkering with the rules on retirement savings.

“To leave [tax-free payouts] alone was a good idea. Lots of self- employed people transfer their business [proceeds] to their self- managed fund and they would have been caught," said France Dubuisson-Perrine, who lives in the Sydney suburb of Davidson, referring to a proposal to tax retirees with super balances of more than about $800,000. A retired accountant, he is a former Art Gallery of NSW financial controller.

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“If they’re going to keep changing the rules, no one will be willing to contribute to super," he said. “If you’re not sure what’s going to happen in 10 years’ time why would you save into super? Sooner or later the government’s going to have to decide if it wants people to rely on their own savings in retirement or go on the age pension."

Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey on Friday had to clarify the Coalition’s pledge to increasing the superannuation guarantee to 12 per cent, following a press conference in Sydney where he said the retirement funding linked to the minerals resource rent tax would be abolished.

The Coalition had previously maintained it would lift the guarantee which, according to the May 2012 budget, would cost $782 million.

The frustration expressed by Mr Dubuisson-Perrine was echoed by fellow do-it-yourself scheme trustees. “Every time there’s a change, people are more disinclined to trust the system," said Robert Craven, a part-time adviser in the aged-care industry, who said that the recent reduction in the annual contribution limit for people over the age of 50 was a real problem.

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David Jones, a semi-retired geologist who established a self- managed scheme in mid-2000, agreed. “The government should see what the original intention of super was," he said, “rather than using it as a means to bail them out of temporary financial problems."

Trustees warned they would consider withdrawing money from the system if the government decided to tax earnings in the pension phase.

“I would look into other means of savings, such as family trusts," said Mr Dubuisson-Perrine, while Mr Craven said that such a move would push more retirees onto a government pension as their balances dropped.

“A tax on earnings would be a short-term fix," he said.

Mr Craven suggested that if the government wanted to raise revenue, it could raise the age at which individuals can withdraw money from super from 60 to 62.

Mr Jones, 71, said it was unfair that people could not contribute to super beyond the age of 75.

“If you are earning money and paying tax, you should be able to put money into super. People remaining in the workforce until they are in their 80s will become more common," he said.